Connect
by PaladinTersias
Summary: After Hayner receives a mysterious letter in the mail, he is thrown into a wild game that could save- or kill- him. Memories and friendships hang in the balance. Seifer/Hayner
1. The Letter

**Heyyo! It's been a while since I've written any fanfiction, and I know I've sorta left a few of my stories in the dust. Hopefully I can finish this one. Uh, I'm not going to reveal anything about anything here. **

**Rated mature for future chapters. I do not own these characters, blah blah blah. Enjoy! :D**

A few months ago, I got a letter in the mail.  
The guy must have dropped it off himself because all it said on the envelope was "Don't throw it away."  
I almost just ripped it up and threw it right into the trash because it scared me.  
Nobody sent me letters. Ever.

But, my curiosity beat the fear by a long shot and so I opened it up.

* * *

_Hayner, _

_If you're reading this, I commend your ability to follow instructions from complete strangers. But there isn't time for me to ramble on about that- there are pressing matters at hand that I feel you can handle. Below will be a series of instructions that should be no problem to follow, considering you've already completed the first. I'm sorry, but right now, I will not reveal my identity to you. By the end of this, hopefully we can meet in person._

_In three days time, there will be a kid named Roxas waiting for you at the sandlot. He will only stay until the sun sets. He will ask you why the sun sets red, to which you must respond, "red travels the furthest." He will not speak, but he will walk away. Follow him. He will lead you to a man named Axel atop the clock tower, who will ask you what he is. You will say, "nobody" and, again, there will be no further communication amongst the group. Stay quiet and follow. You will receive more information when you've made it to the safe zone._

_I know this all must be confusing, but I have tasked you with this for a reason. Please do not fail to meet up with Roxas. This is extremely important. _

_Good luck, and do not be afraid._

* * *

I must have read it ten times before finally setting it down. I wasn't sure if I believed a word of it. I wasn't sure if I was even the right Hayner. Maybe they meant some other Hayner from somewhere else. I don't know why anyone would trust me with any task. I couldn't even keep my room clean most of the time.

I read it again. Urgency dripped off the scrawled words. Was it a trap? Was it a prank? Or was someone actually asking for my help? Every question that popped into my head led to the same thing- why me, of all people? I thought about ripping the paper up and forgetting about it, but I couldn't bring myself to. My curiosity was piqued, just like it had been when I saw the "Don't throw it away."

In three days time, I would have to head down to the sandlot and find this Roxas kid. I didn't know if he would have any answers for me, but the guy in the letter made it clear that I would get more information if I did what he said. So it was decided.

I spent the rest of the day theorizing about the letter and who could have written it. When night rolled around, I couldn't sleep. My mind was wrapped around the letter. What did it mean for me?

By the time my eyes finally closed, the sun was rising, and the countdown began.


	2. The Encounters

**Haha, I think it's impossible for me to write long chapters. :/****  
Buut, this will have to do. I'll try to make longer chapters for y'all.  
**

**Rated Mature for future chapters, I do not own the characters blah blah blah. Enjoy! :D  
**

* * *

I tried not to think about the letter too much, which was pretty much impossible. I had it hidden in a drawer like it was some sort of illegal drug, and I looked at it every morning when I woke up. It was like it possessed some sort of magic that pulled me towards it. For all I knew, that wasn't even farfetched. My obsession was annoyingly unnatural.

On the third morning, I did not stray from my schedule. I woke up, looked at the letter, placed it back underneath all of my clothing, and took a shower. My stomach was in knots. I ate a meager breakfast of buttered toast, which I washed down with half a glass of milk. I had until sunset to meet up with Roxas, but I wasn't sure when the guy wanted me to leave. I paced around my house until I couldn't stand it anymore. I left at noon.

The sandlot looked deserted when I got there. Before I could stop it, anger flared up in my stomach because it seemed I had been fooled. I had only obsessed over the letter for three and a half days. I had only wracked my brain for three and a half motherfucking days. And there was nobody waiting for me. "Hey!" I called out, frustrated. "Hey, this isn't funny asshole!" I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest as my angry voice echoed off the walls. My eyes found the ground, and anger mixed with shame. "God I'm an idiot." I whispered to myself.

"Why does the sun set red?"

A voice, and the question I had had memorized the answer to, echoed loudly behind me. I turned, startled, almost losing my balance. Roxas was shorter than me by maybe an inch. All blonde hair and blues eyes. He wore black robes that went down to his ankles. He was smiling mischievously at me, waiting for the answer he knew I knew. I fumbled over my words for a few moments before spitting out, "red travels the furthest". He nodded and led me on, like the letter said he would.

I felt stupid as I followed him. I could still feel the remnants of anger and shame in my stomach. I was mildly uneasy. I had no idea where I was going, or what would happen there. But I did not talk- did not ask any of the million questions I had contained in my brain. I just followed until I realized we were at the clock tower. We walked in silence up the stairs, and when we made it to the top, I faced a taller redhead. His eyes were the brightest sea-foam I had ever seen and his cheeks were tattooed with purple upside-down triangles. He was dressed the exact same way that Roxas was, and even had the same mischievous smile.

"What am I, Hayner?"

My breath caught when he said my name. It was like a confirmation. Like I was the right Hayner and this was all very real. It was too much to be coincidence. After I answered his question, I would get some of my own questions answered. I would discover what this was all about. And I was excited and scared and my stomach was twisting. Axel cocked an eyebrow and I realized that I had been looking at him stupidly for longer than I thought.

"Nobody." I said.

He and Roxas both turned away from me and began walking. I followed obediently.

At the bottom of the stairs, they both turned to me. It looked like they wanted to say something, but they did not. I figure it might have been some sort of warning, or words of encouragement for the next part. Because they opened a portal that resonated darkness, and before I could make the sound of fright that built in my throat, they pulled me in and my entire world disappeared before my eyes.


	3. The Truth

When everything stopped being darkness, I was alone. Axel and Roxas were gone. I sat atop a hill that was sprouting the greenest grass I had ever seen. My hill overlooked an ocean bluer than anything Twilight Town had to offer. The sky was cloudless. I was too caught up in wonder to notice footsteps behind me, so it scared me when a voice pierced the silence of the island.

"Hayner, right?" he asked, plopping himself down next to me with his legs crossed. He offered a hand, which, at first, I wasn't sure I wanted to take. "Oh, don't be scared, I'm here to help you out." He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. The perfection of the island was getting to a frustrating level. He waved his hand as if to remind me that I should be shaking it, and finally, I did.

"Who are you?" I asked, my eyes fixing themselves on his orange hair. "Where did Axel and Roxas go? Where am I? Why am I here? What is this all about?" Really, I hadn't meant for every question under the sun to burst forth from my mouth, but once the first was out, it was impossible to stop the rest. The guy laughed, and leaned back on his elbows.

"Slow down, kid!" He said through his laughter, "The name's Wakka and I only know so much. There's a lot you're going to have to figure out on your own. But this place is called Destiny Island. Axel and Roxas had to go back to the guy who wrote you the letter."

"So you know him?" I asked, like a little kid.

"Of course. We all know him. You knew him once." He turned his head from the sky to look at me. "You knew everyone once, Hayner." I sucked in a breath. What was he going on about?

"What do you mean? I think I know who I know."

He remained silent for a while, eyes fixed on the sky again. I watched his hands, which were plucking blades of grass from the hill. At one point, I thought maybe he forgot that I asked a question, and almost reminded him. But I couldn't get myself to speak. I just lay down in the grass, arms behind my head, and stared at the sky with him. Seagulls squawked to each other somewhere close.

"Somebody stole your memories. Actually, a lot of people stole your memories. And for some reason, your memories are extremely important to a few people. Your friends are going to die if you don't retrieve them." Wakka finally said.

"I don't understand..." I said, "How does someone steal memories? How can that kill someone else?"

"I told you, I only know so much, kid." He said, and then, after a sigh, "All I know is that you need to get them back. If Roxas dies, Sora dies, and then all of the worlds are in danger. He was your most important friend."

For some reason this made me angry. "Most important? I don't rank my friends in order of importance. And who is this Sora kid, anyway? Why will his death put the worlds in danger? None of this makes any sense! I thought I was going to get answers, but instead you've given me nothing but more questions! I don't know what you or any of these people even want me to do. How do you even retrieve memories?"

I stood up and paced angrily, throwing question after question at Wakka. He answered none of them, just looked out at the ocean with a blank look on his face. I didn't even care. I just kept throwing questions and stomping around until I felt better. I threw myself back onto ground and rolled over so my back was to Wakka. "All seems pretty hopeless." I said. "I don't understand it. I don't know if I believe any of this anyway."

"It'll make sense eventually." He said.

"Yeah I guess I hope so."

Neither of us spoke after that, and before long, the sound of water lapping the shore lulled me to sleep.


	4. The Game

**This chapter is like.. an odd mix of filler and stuff that will probably be important in future chapters. Figures that a mostly filler chapter would be the longest so far. Buuut what can you do? Enjoy~**

* * *

I expected to wake up in my bedroom and laugh the whole dream off. Unfortunately for me, I actually woke up exactly where I had passed out, and again, found myself alone. Wakka was no longer sitting next to me, his eyes fixed on the sky. I let out an uncomfortable laugh as I stood. The only signs of life on the whole island were squawks from seagulls.

When nobody randomly appeared for a while, I decided to take some time to explore. I seemed to be limited to the beach and hill, as well as a hand-built platform that hugged the edge of a cliff opposite the ocean. I opted for the beach, remembering how Pence, Olette, and I would visit our own beach in Twilight Town. One year, we almost missed our chance to visit and had to work our asses off to get enough money for the train ride down. I won a good deal of it in the Struggle tournament that year.

By the time I reached the water, I was smiling. I kicked my shoes off and stood in the tide, sighing as cold water rushed over my toes. There was a small dock on the other side of the beach that, after a while of enjoying the water on my toes, I made my way towards. A few small boats were tied, but I ignored them. I had no idea where in the world Destiny Island was, where the ocean led to, or how to sail. Besides, I wasn't sure if escaping was very high on my list. Admittedly, I kinda wanted to talk to Wakka again. Apologize for snapping.

I sat at the edge of the dock, watching the waves and the sky, my feet submerged in water. I felt fish bump into my feet a few times, which made me laugh. I'd watch their shadows dart away, afraid of the harmless obstacles. I was completely at ease when Wakka finally made an appearance, taking a seat next to me.

"I see you're not afraid to explore. That's good." He said with a smile. I smiled back, kicking my feet. "You'll be leaving here shortly. I thought I'd say my farewells in case you never come back."

I let out a short laugh. A part of me hoped he wasn't serious. A part of me was suddenly afraid I would never see the island again. "Why wouldn't I come back?"

"This isn't your world. You were brought here to be told the truth, and since it's done, you've gotta continue with your mission." He said simply. "He might let you back before you go home, but I don't know that for a fact."

I pouted, looking back at the water and the shadows of the fish. That didn't seem at all fair. Maybe I wanted to stay a little longer. "Well..." I said, turning my gaze to Wakka, "Well, then I'm sorry that I got mad at you yesterday. If you were just relaying information, I had no right to snap at you. It's just... a lot of stuff, you know? A lot of stuff that makes absolutely no sense." He nodded and held his hand out to me, which I took this time without hesitation.

"Apology accepted, though it was not required. I understand where you're coming from, kid." A smile, and then, "So, how about a quick game of farewell hit-the-blitzball?"

We both laughed, and I nodded. I was good at hitting things- struggle definitely helped to that end. We walked to the middle of the beach, where Wakka picked up a wooden sword that had been carefully hidden beneath the sand. I didn't ask about it. I was certain he was not the only inhabitant on Destiny Island. I figured a child must have hidden it for future play. He tossed it to me before retrieving his blitzball (up until that point, I had no idea what a blitzball was). It was a lot bigger than I thought, about the size of a volleyball, and seemed rather heavy. For a moment, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

"You ready?" He asked as he backed away from me. "You've probably never played with a blitzball, so I'll go easy on ya." A crooked smile played on his face when I nodded, and he lobbed the ball toward me. I swung, clipping the bottom of it, which caused it wobble off balance and fall a few feet away from me. I smiled awkwardly as I picked it up and threw it back. "You'll get it, just aim for the middle."

I grounded myself this time, and when he threw the ball, I managed to get a decent hit on hit. It made it three quarters of the way back, and he flashed me a white-toothed smile that made my stomach feel warm. It was like playing a game with my father. I felt proud.

We played like that for a while. As I got used to hitting the blitzball, Wakka threw a little harder or added a curve or a spin. I adjusted myself to each new throw, and the distance between us kept getting farther and farther. At one point, Wakka looked to the sky and ran back to me with the ball in his hand.

"Time's up, Hayner." He said, still smiling. Sweat dripped from his brow. I hadn't realized it until then, but i was also sweating. How long had we been playing? He looked over my shoulder and his smile faded a bit. "Good luck, and goodbye." He patted my shoulder, and when finally looked behind me, Axel was waiting.

"Bye Wakka. It was fun playing. And.. um. Thank you." I half bowed to him.

"I haven't had a good game like that in a long time." He said as Axel waved me over. "When you meet him, beg to come back just once to play one more game with me."

"Sure."

I gave him one final wave and ran over to Axel. His face was void of any readable emotion.

"Are you ready?" He asked, not looking directly at me.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

He opened up another one of those darkness portals, and for the second time in my life, I watched another world disappear.


	5. The Gamemasters

**Sorry it took so long, guys, but here is the next chapter! Enjoy! :D  
**

* * *

"Welcome" Axel said when I stopped squeezing my eyes shut, "To Agrabah."

It took a long time for my eyes to adjust to the new brightness of a town in a desert I had no idea even existed. I wondered momentarily how anyone could live in the heat that pounded down on my back, but didn't allow myself to ponder. If things were to go as they went on Destiny Island, I wouldn't be staying long at all. I was about to ask Axel why I was here and who I would meet, but when I turned, he was gone. I decided then that I didn't like him.

I walked around town for a while, making the same observations that I did on the island. The place seemed void of any form of life besides small animals, but it was obvious that people lived in the buildings and shopped in the bazaar. I thought about maybe knocking on a door to see if anyone would answer, but then I wouldn't know what to ask. My whole situation seemed a little crazy even to myself, so I imagine it wouldn't seem any better to anyone else.

I stopped at what appeared to be the entrance to the city and peered out. Miles and miles of sand surrounded the place. How far would I have to walk before reaching another civilization? How did these people sustain themselves? As I turned back to find a place to rest, I noticed a tiny shadow in the sand. It darted past me and disappeared into the shadow of a building. I shook it off as just another animal, which wasn't far from the truth at all.

A few minutes later, after finding shade, a man hopped down from one of the rooftops and approached me with a smile and a monkey on his shoulder. "You must be Hayner." He said, "I am Alladin of Agrabah and Axel is a douchebag for not telling me that you were here. Good thing I have Abu here to tell me what's going on around the city or you'd have had to sleep in the sand." He extended a hand and we shook.

"So uh. Alladin." I said as I stood, "I assume since you were waiting, you know why I'm here. I also assume I am going to be learning more stuff that makes absolutely no sense. That sound about right?" He nodded.

"Yep. If it's all the same, it doesn't make sense to me either. But apparently this is pretty important so how about we find a cooler place to talk it over." He flashed a charming smile and led me to a part of town I hadn't explored. We entered what appeared to be an abandoned building and climbed up a small flight of stairs to the top, which was adorned with old furniture and tattered rugs. I got the impression that he was impoverished. "It's not much, but it sure beats sitting in the sun." He said.

There were a few tense minutes of silence because I wasn't sure what to say. I sat myself down on a chair that creaked so loudly I was sure it was going to break under my weight. Alladin sent a forced smile in my direction as he found a seat on the worn-down couch across from me. A few more moments of silence followed. "So, uhm." I said, "What exactly…"

"Ah yes, right." He replied, "The news. It is my understanding that you've been informed of the basic situation. So you know that you're hunting memories." I nodded, both at how ridiculous that sounded and at the truthfulness of the statement. "It's not going to be easy, as you may have already assumed. Nothing really is. But. You're going to have to fight."

I had figured that much. Maybe a part of me had hoped I wouldn't have to, but it was obvious that there wouldn't be a peaceful way to steal back my memories. "What, exactly, will I be fighting then?"

Any evidence of a smile was wiped from his face at that moment, and he sighed. "Well, that bit is going to be hard to explain. Especially to you."

"If you're afraid I won't understand, you're probably right. But that's why I'm here- to learn about whatever this whole situation is. So you may as well just add a touch more information that doesn't make sense. Maybe it'll all fall into place in time." I said, leaning back in the ancient chair, which gave another loud creak in response.

"Ah, yes, you're right. Well. There is an organization called Organization Thirteen. It is comprised of thirteen members, all of which are what are called, 'nobodies'." He let out a quiet, frustrated growl, and it was immediately apparent that this was not going to be a short explanation. "Okay, uhm. Well, there are these creatures, you see, called Heartless. They are formed when a heart is overtaken by corruption. They come in the form of shadows, usually, but when a heart is strong, they leave behind an empty shell of sorts- which, in time, become nobodies. Now, usually, nobodies are just as thoughtless and apathetic as heartless, but sometimes they remember their old existence. Because of this knowledge, they are infinitely stronger and more intelligent than the rest of their… er- species, we'll call it. Organization thirteen is a perfect example of this form of Nobody."

I began to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to pile on more senseless information, because as he went on with his explanation, I was only more thoroughly confused. How could something so common and simple as a corrupted heart create entirely new beings- especially in such a confusing and particular manner- and how did I not know about them? Were heartless and nobodies non-existent in my world? Or had I been too blind to my own surroundings to see them? I played with the fabric of my shirt for a moment before looking up at Alladin. "So was it this 'Organization Thirteen' who stole my memories?"

"Not… exactly." He combed his fingers through his hair. "This would be so much easier if I knew what I was talking about, you know? I'm just sort of… repeating information. But, uh, to every nobody, there exists a heartless. And in special cases, especially those in which a strong Nobody is created, an equally strong Heartless is created. These special forms also remember their old existence, and are therefore equally as intelligent as any member of the Organization. But the motives of these two existences are very different. The Organization wish to regain their hearts. The Heartless tend to prefer the power of their state and wish to keep their new bodies. This would not be a problem at all if the Nobodies didn't need their Heartless halves to return to their old existence. Are you… following any of this?"

I nodded. The general idea was extremely straightforward. The fact that this was apparently a very real phenomena was what I was having trouble believing.

"Roxas is an extremely important pawn in the game the heartless are playing. His memories are connected to a boy named Sora, who, if revived, can turn the tide in favor of the Nobodies. That is where you come in. One of the Heartless realized that, if Roxas was out of the picture, their campaign to keep themselves heartless would be prolonged. You were the closest person to Roxas at the time. And so they stole your memories of him. And each day you live, forgetting your best friend, he gets weaker."

There it was again. This Roxas fellow was my best friend. I didn't believe it. "Why does he get weaker like that? Why am I so important?"

"Because Roxas is a nobody. A part of Organization Thirteen. As you live your life without a single memory of him, he has less to exist for. And eventually, he'll disappear."

My stomach clenched. I may not have remembered who Roxas was or why he was my best friend, but the truth of the matter was horrible. Maybe worse was the fact that apparently I had been causing immeasurable amounts of pain for someone, without even knowing about it. We sat in silence, I guess because Alladin figured I would need a little time for that to sink in. The weight of my situation was suddenly crushing my shoulders.

"So, say this is all true. This is all going on and I'm not crazy. How does anyone expect me, a typical human being, to be able to fight off these… creatures? The only thing that seems to be tiding in my favor is the fact that I can swing a foam bat at people, and that doesn't even seem very favorable considering what I'd be fighting isn't human."

Alladin smiled. He had a look in his eyes that said, 'I thought you'd never ask'. I almost laughed, it was so unfitting. Everything was absolutely ridiculous.

"I have this thing." He said, standing up, "I got it from this really cool place in the desert. I have a feeling that it will help you, if you ask for the right things." He made his way quickly and gracefully to the window, where he whistled and turned to motion me over. Within a few moments, we were faced with what appeared to be a carpet. And it was flying.

"What the fuck is that?" I asked, "Is that a flying carpet? I am not seeing this right now. I am definitely not seeing this." Alladin chuckled. The carpet seemed to reel back, offended.

"It's okay, carpet. He isn't from this world, no need to get upset." He stroked one of its tassels and it straightened itself out. "Hop on, Hayner."

I did as he said, though albeit reluctantly. It was weird, to say the least- floating on a carpet that was suspended midair. But at the same time, it was rather comfortable. Until, of course, Alladin hopped on and the carpet got the idea that I was ready to fly. I imagine, in response to my initial reaction to it, the carpet also got the idea that rapid speed changes and sharp turns were a good idea. I felt like I was going to throw up.

We flew out of town and over a large portion of desert. Or maybe it just felt large because everything was a sea of sand and my concept of distance was completely out of whack. I watched the way Alladin steered the carpet the whole time. I wouldn't be surprised if silly little things like that would help me in the long run. Eventually, we began a slow descent into a bowl-shaped section of sand that was surrounded on three sides by a huge rock formation. When we landed, Alladin hopped off the carpet and stood, looking at the sky.

Before I could ask what he was doing, he was walking a weird pattern in the sand until he stopped, knelt down, and began to dig. This went on for maybe ten minutes before he produced a golden lamp from the sand. And I knew, then, that that was what he brought me here for. He walked back and handed it to me.

"This, my friend, is a Genie Lamp." There was just the slightest hint of sadness in his voice when he said it. "When you find yourself in need, just rub the side and a genie will come out to aid you. He can only grant three wishes though, so make sure you… wish wisely." Now his sadness was apparent, and I couldn't help but ask why.

"Alladin, why do you seem so… defeated about it?"

He gave a short explanation as we flew back to the village. "I made the wrong wishes. I broke a promise. I should have wished him freedom but I got too sucked up in other things."

I decided not to pry. I would find out, in time, what he meant.

When we got back to the village, we didn't say anything to each other. I fell asleep on a rug (which I made sure was not a living creature) with the lamp tucked to my chest.


End file.
